Dublin’s flagship district heating system finally gaining steam after much hot air
A key part of the planning application for the privately run Dublin Waste to Energy facility at Poolbeg was that the heat it generated would be harnessed to heat homes and businesses on a large scale.
But, although the incinerator accepted its first truckloads of rubbish in 2017, the trumpeted district heating benefit never materialised.
Now, Dublin City Council’s lead engineer on the project, Karen Kennedy, says the authority has completed the preliminary design of the long-mooted project and will shortly begin the Part 8 planning procedure.
But funding and political commitment are needed, Ms Kennedy said, to drive the market for such systems in Dublin.
The first phase of the project could reduce Dublin’s heat emissions by 5pc.
It would warm up water with waste heat generated by the Poolbeg incinerator and pipe it into local homes, businesses and public buildings via underground insulated pipes up to 900mm in diameter.
Karen Kennedy, senior engineer at Dublin City Council. Photo: Steve Humphreys
The necessary piping has already been installed in several locations, including under the Luas tracks leading to The Point and crossing the Liffey in the river’s services tunnel near the East Link bridge.
The patchwork of piping needs to be linked up and connected to the incinerator, with the goal being to begin construction in 2027 and complete the first phase by the end of 2028.
Ms Kennedy said she is “optimistic” these timelines can be met, but they hinge on sufficient funding and attention from the Government.
Long-awaited legislation is currently in draft form and expected to pass through the Oireachtas this year.
European countries like Denmark and Sweden have developed sprawling district heating systems. Up to 75pc of their heat demand is now served by the model.
The first phase of the Dublin scheme would connect the Glass Bottle development and areas of the north Docklands to hot water from the incinerator, with an initial cost of €150m. Connections to facilities in the south Docklands will come later, said Ms Kennedy
The Poolbeg incinerator. Photo: Getty
“Our key target customers are the public sector buildings on the north quays. So, you have the likes of the Convention Centre, the Central Bank, the Treasury Building, and also some of the private sector commercial buildings like Spencer Dock and the 3Arena,” she said.
Dublin City Council and the Department of the Environment are currently proposing splitting the costs for the first phase 50-50, and plan to bring a private partner on board to expand and operate the scheme once it’s been installed.
Beyond phase one, the “real gains” for decarbonising will come from connecting the city centre, and particularly Georgian Dublin, to the network, Ms Kennedy said.
“In terms of decarbonising, if you want to use heat pumps, you need a very extensive retrofit,” she said. “The building is completely sealed, the windows and doors are replaced... You don’t need that for district heating.”
By the same token, the decarbonisation of Dublin’s other historic buildings – like Store Street Garda Station and the Custom House – could depend on their connection to the district heating network. “It’s just a simple swap out” from gas heating systems, Ms Kennedy said.
In future, the Dublin system could source heat from several industrial buildings in Poolbeg, data centres, and the nascent geothermal facility being developed in Grangegorman, she added.